*Review* MoneyWise Mabel's Bursting Bank by Kalee Boisvert

 

Genre: Children's Ages 4-6

Published: September 19, 2023

Pages: 32

What should Mabel do now that her piggybank is full to the brim? Buy lots of candy? Spend it all on that toy she’s been eyeing? Finally get that unicorn sprinkler that sprays water from its horn?

When Mabel pulls her piggy bank out from under the bed, it’s stuffed. She can’t fit one more coin inside–Piggy is bursting!

What should Mabel do with all that money? Buy candy? Toys? Games!? Mabel’s so excited that her bed becomes a trampoline and she wants to spend it all. But then her mother explains that money doesn’t have to burn a hole in your pocket—a lesson that sends Mabel on a journey to learn what it means to become “moneywise.” Follow her as she takes her first steps to independence by opening a bank account!

Teach your school-aged kids fundamentals about money management with this approachable, fun, and charming debut from Kalee Boisvert, full of colorful illustrations and easy-to-understand concepts.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a fun story about a girl who has filled up her piggy bank with coins and wants to use her money to buy candy, like most kids would. Her mom talks her into opening up a savings account with the money instead and she learns about what happens with money at the bank. Then she decides that she wants to save up her money to take her mom on a beach vacation. 

If I thought that reading this book to my children multiple times would brainwash them into wanting to take me on a beach vacation with their savings, I would read it to them every night (although they're past that age at this point, so I'm basically a day late and a few thousand dollars short). It was a pretty informative story with language that would be easy for kids to understand though and does explain the benefits of saving your money. 

The illustrations were fairly simple but colorful keeping the focus more on the message than the pictures. Overall I give this book 3.9854 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

www.kaleeboisvert.com Instagram: @kaleeboisvert

Kalee Boisvert has been in the financial industry for over fifteen years, but her love of money began very young. Growing up in a single parent household, she watched her mom struggle with finances and wished there was something she could do to help. She wasn’t going to allow her circumstances to define her, and thus her own journey into financial literacy and wealth management began. Kalee now has an MBA in Finance from the Haskayne School of Business and is a financial professional whose focus remains on sparking healthy and positive conversations around wealth and investments. She is also a proud mom to eight-year-old Ivy and new baby Jax. She lives with her family in Calgary, Alberta. MoneyWise Mabel’s Bursting Bank is her first book for children. Her self-help title Make Money Your Thing will be released by RE: Books in Spring 2023.

*Review* Don't be Mean to 13 by Douglas Harris

 

Genre: Children's ages 3-10

Published: October 12, 2023

Pages: 24

Thirteen is feared and disliked for no good reason, while Twelve has always been so popular! When Thirteen and his friend Friday get together -watch out for friggatriskaidekaphobia! Explore the ancient historical roots of these popular superstitions while encouraging children to use evidence-based, critical thinking with our friend, Thirteen!

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a cute and informative story about the number 13 and why people think it's so scary. It's got some fun facts about the real name for the fear of the number thirteen and why 12 is perfect. It also discusses where the fear of the number likely came from and some other common superstitions. 

I don't know that I'd want to read this book all the time, but I wouldn't be bothered by reading it a few times. The illustrations were fun and somewhat colorful, really drawing the eye in. Overall I give Don't Be Mean to 13 4.00734 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Douglas is the co-author of the award-winning children's books My Name is Stardust, Stardust Explores the Solar System, Stardust Explores Earth's Wonders and Elle the Humanist. His upcoming book, Don't Be Mean to 13, will be released on Friday, October 13th, 2023!

Douglas co-authored the Stardust Book series with his 17-year-old daughter, Bailey Harris. My Name is Stardust is the first in their series of children's illustrated science storybooks and features a foreword by renowned evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins. Book two in the series, Stardust Explores the Solar System, was released in 2018. Book three, Stardust Explores Earth's Wonders, was released in 2019.

Douglas co-authored Elle the Humanist with his 12-year-old daughter, Elle Harris. Elle the Humanist is a beautifully illustrated book presenting humanist ideas and ethics in a way that's warm, welcoming, and accessible for young readers. It features a foreword by renowned philosopher and author Daniel Dennett.

In partnership with the Center For Inquiry and the Translations Project, Elle The Humanist and the three books in the Stardust Book series are available for free in Urdu, Arabic, Farsi and Bahasa Indonesia – languages chosen by the Translation Project to help make scientific and humanist literature more available in Muslim-majority countries, where access to such literature can be very limited.

Douglas was a featured expert panel speaker at the 2017 BookCon in NYC on Science and Education. While releasing his book at BEA/NYC in 2017, he was interviewed by Helen Little for The Public Library Podcast on iHeartRadio about science, education and literature.

*Review* A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

 

Genre: Police Procedural

Published: April 7, 202

Pages: 397

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.

Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee—and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff—thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her—and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter’s new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny.

But even clouds have their silver linings. This one's got Levi, Sunshine's sexy, almost-old-flame, and a fiery-hot US Marshal. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol's normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger. Can Sunshine face the call of duty—and find the kidnapper who's terrorizing her beloved hometown—without falling head over high heels in love...or worse?

I listened to the audiobook version of this story for a book club meeting. This story is told from a couple different perspectives, at at least with the audio, it usually wasn't super clear initially when there was a change in character perspective leading to some serious confusion. 

Some of the major highlights of this story were the banter between Sunshine and literally everyone else, the relationship between Sunshine and Ari, her daughter (which felt very Gilmore Girl-esque, although Sunshine comes across more as cool mom than the best friend that Lorelai is), and the police blotters and business signs. Those were hilarious. This book was just really chock full of witty shit that had me cracking up. 

While there was one main investigation for this story, there were several mysteries that Sunshine and her team were working on, which makes sense because what police force only has one case at a time. Some of those issues were resolved over the course of this story, others remained as loose threads, so if you need complete resolution, you should definitely plan on reading the whole series back to back. 

Overall I give A Bad Day for Sunshine 4.1732 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier, and her books have been translated into 17 languages. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, certain they went away the better for it. She penned the international bestselling Charley Davidson series and is currently working on several beloved projects, most notably the Sunshine Vicram Mystery Series with St. Martin's Press and the Betwixt and Between Series of paranormal women's fiction. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Click here to read one of the more popular short stories by Darynda called The Monster:

https://theneverneath.com/2018/02/02/the-monster-part-1/

She can be found at http://www.daryndajones.com

*Review* The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix

 

Genre: YA Fantasy

Published: March 21, 2023

Pages: 365

Return to the enchanting world of The Left-Handed Booksellers of London in this sequel by Garth Nix, bestselling master of teen fantasy, where once again a team of booksellers must fight to keep dangerous magic under cover before the stuff of legends destroys our world. New York Times bestseller!

There is often trouble of a mythical sort in Bath. The booksellers who police the Old World keep a careful watch there, particularly on the entity that inhabits the ancient hot spring.

This time trouble comes from the discovery of a sorcerous map, leading left-handed bookseller Merlin into great danger, requiring a desperate rescue attempt from his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, and art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still struggling to deal with her own recently discovered magical heritage.

The map takes the trio to a place separated from this world, maintained by deadly sorcery and guarded by monstrous living statues. But this is only the beginning. To unravel the secrets of a murderous Ancient Sovereign, the booksellers must investigate centuries of disappearances and deaths. If they do not stop her, she will soon kill again. And this time, her target is not an ordinary mortal.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is the second book in a series, and I have not read the first, so there were several times, especially early on in the story, where I felt a bit left out of the loop. There were enough small mentions of details though that I soon felt mostly caught up. 

I was initially quite intrigued by the premise of this story and the different deities  that the booksellers work with and manage (where appropriate). The middle of the story started to drag a bit though and I ended up having to put the book aside for a while as I'd started another book set in Bath and featuring Sulis Minerva that was piquing my interest more at the time. When I returned to the book and got past that lull, I was once again hooked and excited to see how everything would be resolved. 

In spite of the lull in the middle of this story, I definitely want to get my hands on a copy of the first book in the sieges, so I can get fully caught up and see where it all began. 

Overall I give The Sinister Booksellers of Bath 3.9743 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Garth Nix has worked as a bookseller, book sales representative, publicist, editor, marketing consultant and literary agent. He also spent five years as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve. A full-time writer since 2001, more than five million copies of his books have been sold around the world and his work has been translated into 40 languages. Garth's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly (US), The Bookseller(UK), The Australian and The Sunday Times (UK). He lives in Sydney, Australia, with his wife and two children.

*Discussion Questions* The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers *SPOILERS*

I have spent a few years in a couple of different book clubs now, and I've led my fair share of discussions (so every time it was my turn in the rotation to pick a book basically, although I've been slacking a little in my current book club). I can't tell you how many times I've finished a book that I'd chosen for our meeting, only to realize that I couldn't think of a single question to ask (and I'd forgotten to consider that while reading). In those instances I would run to the interwebs to search for discussion questions, just hoping that someone else had been kind enough to think of questions and share them with the world. I had about a 50% success rate with that. 

1) Do you think Maddie's mom told Aunt Etta why she was really dropping Maddie off?

2) Do you think Aunt Etta would have/should have turned Maddie away? Why or why not?

3) Why do you think Mitzy took Maddie in when Etta went to the hospital?

4) Do you think Maddie ever made the gloves for the factory workers?

5) Who was your favorite character? Why?

6) What do you think would have happened if Maddie told Cornelia why her son, the doctor, was yelling at her?

7) Do you think Richard agreed to Mitzy's demands before the gala, or were her proclamations a surprise to him that he had to go along with because of the evidence she had?

8) If Richard had publicly denied the changes for the women of Bright Leaf, do you think Mitzy would have come forward with the evidence against smoking?

9) Do you feel like Mitzy made the right choice at the time? Why or why not?

10) Do you see similarities between the marketing scheme for MOMints and prescription drug advertising today?

11) Do you think the wives would have abandoned Etta after she recovered if Maddie hadn't been there to fill her shoes for the gala dresses? 

And that is all the questions I came up with while reading this book. Is there anything else that you would ask at a meeting to get discussion going? Just comment below with your suggestions (and let me know if I may add them to the official post if you do please). - Katie 

*Review* The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Published: March 1, 2022

Pages: 349

North Carolina, 1946. One woman. A discovery that could rewrite history.

Maddie Sykes is a burgeoning seamstress who’s just arrived in Bright Leaf, North Carolina—the tobacco capital of the South—where her aunt has a thriving sewing business. After years of war rations and shortages, Bright Leaf is a prosperous wonderland in full technicolor bloom, and Maddie is dazzled by the bustle of the crisply uniformed female factory workers, the palatial homes, and, most of all, her aunt’s glossiest clientele: the wives of the powerful tobacco executives.

But she soon learns that Bright Leaf isn’t quite the carefree paradise that it seems. A trail of misfortune follows many of the women, including substantial health problems, and although Maddie is quick to believe that this is a coincidence, she inadvertently uncovers evidence that suggests otherwise.

Maddie wants to report what she knows, but in a town where everyone depends on Big Tobacco to survive, she doesn’t know who she can trust—and fears that exposing the truth may destroy the lives of the proud, strong women with whom she has forged strong bonds.

Shedding light on the hidden history of women’s activism during the post-war period, at its heart, The Tobacco Wives is a deeply human, emotionally satisfying, and dramatic novel about the power of female connection and the importance of seeking truth.

I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. This is my honest review. 

The beginning of this story reminded me a lot of the way I felt reading Where the Crawdads Sing. Both books are set in the south, several decades ago, and feature girls abandoned by their parents. The stories behind the abandonment are quite different, but equally believable. And Maddie's story feels less tragic as she was left with her father's aunt who loves her as her own child. 

I loved seeing the way Maddie grew as a person in the time leading up to the gala and the way the different tobacco wives helped her come into her own. The influence of one was particularly surprising, but in a very good way. I think if I did not have more in common with the wives, I would have felt like I was on the journey with Maddie. This could be an interesting choice for a mother-daughter bookclub (if that's even a thing). 

I enjoyed seeing the way different classes of women handled the prospect of the men returning from war, expecting their jobs back. I was furious about the men's attitude towards most things, but this was a very female focused book. Overall I give The Tobacco Wives 4.58337 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Adele Myers grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, and has a journalism degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She currently works in advertising and lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, son, and their rescue dog, Chipper. The Tobacco Wives is her first novel. Learn more at www.adelemyersauthor.com

*Review* The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

 Genre: YA Fantasy

Published: February 9, 2021

Pages: 422

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.

The start of a bold and immersive fantasy series for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Panther.

I picked up this book as part of an effort to read mostly Black authors for Black History month this year. When my arch-nemesis said I wasn't allowed to read it, my desire to do so increased. 

One of the first things that stood out to me about the world I was transporter to was how restrictive the religion was for women and girls. In my mind I compared it to extreme Islam (women must cover their faces) and fundamentalist Christianity (purity is super important). A lot of the ways the women were treated, especially the ones deemed "impure" made my blood boil. So I was thrilled when Deka was rescued to become an elite warrior. 

There were a few twists and turns that had me feeling conflicted about my views on things, but going into detail on those would be some rather large spoilers, so just know that not everything is what it seems. This story also reinforced my personal feelings about organized religion (not to be confused with personal faith).

Overall I give The Gilded Ones 4.99982 out of 5 stars and enjoyed the book so much, I put holds on the next two books through the library after telling myself the only reason I was getting a library card was for book club books. I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy at all. - Katie 

Amazon

Namina Forna is a young adult novelist based in Los Angeles, and the author of the epic fantasy YA novel The Gilded Ones. Originally from Sierra Leone, West Africa, she moved to the US when she was nine and has been traveling back and forth ever since. Namina loves building fantastical worlds and telling stories with fierce female leads.

*Review* The Immortal Detective by D. B. Woodling

 

Genre: Paranormal Police Procedural

Published: March 21, 2023

Pages: 476

Sometimes being immortal makes you wish you were dead.

Celeste Crenshaw has survived her parents’ grisly murders, grueling and gender-biased police training, a battle with rogue vampires, and even her own death. While immortality might seem a dream come true, can she accept the strings attached?

Celeste spends the start of her immortal life being mentored by the Elders of the Hollow Earth. They release her once they feel certain Celeste has honed her supernatural powers. But little do they know, Celeste isn’t wholly committed to granting eternal life to those deserving. Upon a return home to her immortal lover, and the Kansas City Detective Squad, she battles mortal foes, not so unlike the demonic undead. And when a fellow detective falls victim to a murderous gang member, Celeste faces a gut-wrenching decision and the possible wrath of the Elders.

I received the audiobook version of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

I don't know what I was expecting from this story, but what I got ended up being just kind of meh for me. At the start of the story Celeste has just been turned into a vampire, and it felt like half the book was about adjusting to that life and learning skills and immersion into this organization that seems to be battling to rid the world of bad vampires. Then she returns to her normal life as a detective in Kansas City and I pretty much lost interest. I was invested in the long lives of people like Socrates and Queen Elizabeth and the way they've used their powers to influence major historical events, and then it became a fairly average detective story.

I think I would have been more invested if Celeste had become part of a supernatural police force, investigating supernatural disturbances, rather than just having abilities  that allow her to psychically manipulate suspects and things like that. Basically, becoming a vampire made her job a cakewalk. 

I also would have loved to see more of the exploits of Raina, the two-century old five-year-old, and Fane, the immortal gay babysitter. Their parts in this tale were quite entertaining. 

The narration was acceptable. I didn't have any major complaints, but also don't have any major compliments for it either. It was fairly easy to discern which character was speaking by the voice being used at the time, which is a definite plus. 

Overall I give The Immortal Detective 3.1764 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Once the allure of impersonating celebrities began to wane, D. B. Woodling left the stage and turned her attention to writing. Credited with two historical fiction novels, she then switched genres and wrote The Detective Mike Malone series.

Needing a home for an ominous opening line, The Immortal Twin, a paranormal novel, soon began to take shape. Three-headed dragons, undead historical mentors, and police investigations abound in The Immortal Detective, the second installment in Celeste's journey, with plenty of chilling twists and turns.

When she's not creating harrowing fight scenes, steamy encounters, or complex police investigations, Woodling calms her soul with scenic walks, often in the company of a clowder of cats or a know-it-all golden retriever.

Her passion for unputdownable page-turners extends to the well-being of all animals. As a tribute to her beloved Labrador retriever, Annie, she donates a large percentage of her book royalties to "Annie's Gift," a cause benefiting No-Kill Animal Shelters, nationwide.

*Review* Wings Once Cursed and Bound by Piper J. Drake

 

Genre: Romantasy

Published: April 11, 2023

Pages: 306

My wings unbound, I am the Thai bird princess, the kinnaree, and no matter the cost, I will be free.

Peeraphan Rahttana lives her life in Seattle, unaware of the complicated magical world spinning just beyond the shadows and mist…until a violent clash outside her dance rehearsal has her literally whisked off her feet. Her darkly brooding rescuer, vampire Bennett Andrews, claims to represent a secret organization dedicated to locating objects of myth and magic, tucking them safely away where they can do no harm—but he's too late to save Peeraphan from a deadly curse.

Yet Peeraphan isn't what she seems. Wings unbound, she's a Thai bird princess of legend...and while the curse won't kill her outright, it's only a matter of time. Determined, Bennett sweeps Peeraphan deeper into a supernatural world far beyond anything she ever imagined in a desperate bid to find a solution...and an explanation for the powers even she doesn't know how to define.

Her world may have changed overnight, but Peeraphan knows one thing for certain: she can't go back to living as a human anymore. Not when she's felt what it's like to fly with Bennett by her side. She's determined to keep her wings and her freedom…and defy anyone who would try to take them from her again.

What would you save if the world you knew disappeared and you could open your eyes to what exists just beyond?

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This book started off strong, but about a third of the way through I started to lose interest. I don't think it was the story itself, but more a matter of my brain rebelling against reading on a deadline. However I'm not entirely sure the story had nothing to do with it, as a story that had me fully engaged should have been no problem to continue reading. 

Aspects of the story that I enjoyed include the unfamiliar to me mythology, the main character is a legendary Thai bird princess; the entire secret organization and how it's composed of such a wide variety of mythical creatures; and the fact that although Peeraphan is extraordinary and can do many things us mere mortals cannot, she still needed help from others to solve her problem. I was also very intrigued by the pocket realm and may have struggled less with staying engaged if it were introduced earlier in the story as it sucked me right back in to wanting to know what would happen next. 

Overall I give Wings Once Cursed and Bound 3.842 out of 5 stars because I struggled to stay engaged, but overall enjoyed the story. - Katie 

Amazon

Bestselling author Piper J. Drake is best known for her romantic suspense series, the True Heroes. Piper is also the author of the Triton Experiment series (science fiction romance) and the London Shifters series (paranormal romance). Her new contemporary fantasy series, Mythwoven, launches in April 2023 with Wings Once Cursed & Bound.

*Review* The Christmas Keeper by Jenn McKinlay

 

Genre: Holiday Romance

Published: October 29, 2019

Pages: 318

True love and holiday cheer combine for an unforgettable romance in this second Happily Ever After novel featuring a North Carolina bookstore from the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Ones.

All he wants for Christmas…

The second Joaquin Solis saw Savannah Wilson, he knew she was destined to be his wife. Unfortunately, Savannah’s sights are set on a happily-ever-after of another kind: skewering the boss who got her fired. Until then, she won’t act on the scorching sexual chemistry that is brewing between them, leaving Joaquin scrambling to find a way to capture her heart. 

When the opportunity arises to use his ranch to boost Savannah's publicity career, Joaquin doesn’t hesitate to invite her into his world at Shadow Pines and woo her with all of his Christmas loving mojo. It’s a gamble since the holidays aren’t really Savannah's thing and helping her might also mean losing her as she plans to shake the dust off of their quaint town in North Carolina and head back to New York City the first chance she gets. 

But Joaquin believes in the magic of Christmas and he knows with a little help from his friends at the Happily Ever After Bookstore, he can convince the woman of his dreams that he’s a keeper…

I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. This is my honest review. 

This was a fairly standard holiday romance. Big city girl in a small town being shown the true meaning of Christmas by a local yokel. There were several happy coincidences that made this possible. Considering how adamant Savy was about not falling for Quino, those coincidences made the story feel a bit more realistic overall. Not that that sheer number of coincidences throwing Savy and Quino together was realistic, but they helped the development of the relationship feel realistic. 

This tale features filling in for Santa and his elf, ice skating, a wagon ride through the snow, and trying to save a small local bookstore from closing. Seriously, it's all the elements you need for a typical Hallmark Christmas movie. And it served the cheese in spades. 

My one complaint is that I have some seriously mixed feelings about the ending. I was all set to be happy with the direction it took, but then it veered off course. It's not bad, but I really liked where I thought it was going. 

Overall I give The Christmas Keeper 4.1783 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Jenn is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. She is also the winner of the RT Reviewer's Choice Award for romantic comedy and the Fresh Fiction award for best cozy mystery. A TEDx speaker, she is always happy to talk books, writing, reading, and the creative process to anyone who cares to listen. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband's guitars.

Visit her website at: www.jennmckinlay.com

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